ballast resistor wiring info needed

66 Buick skylark 340 engine
I need to wire in a ceramic ballast resistor. It has two terminals on
it. The car originally came with just the resistance wire, but it's not
there anymore. It has a stock points distributor. The coil says to use
an external ballast resistor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the
way I think it should go. On the negative terminal of the coil should
go the wire from the distributor. On the positive terminal of the coil
should go the wire from the starter solenoid. Also on this terminal
should go a wire that connects the ballast resistor to a 12 volt source
which should be on the ignition switch. Let me know if this is right so
far, but I still have a problem. I'm too stupid to figure out how to
put the wire in the ignition switch. I thought that when I pulled the
ign. switch out of the dash that I would see prongs on which to attach
the wires. Instead there is a dark brown plastic piece that the wires
go through and it is connected to the metal part of the switch. I'm
afraid that if I try to pull it apart, I will break it. Is there
another place that I can connect a ballast resistor wire to. Battery?
Voltage regulator? Fuse panel? Please be very specific. And thank you
for any help.

Find a wire coming off the ign swtch that is powered up only in the run
position, then you have 12v cranking from the starter and resisted current
in the run position.
"66lark" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> 66 Buick skylark 340 engine
> I need to wire in a ceramic ballast resistor. It has two terminals on
> it. The car originally came with just the resistance wire, but it's not
> there anymore. It has a stock points distributor. The coil says to use
> an external ballast resistor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the
> way I think it should go. On the negative terminal of the coil should
> go the wire from the distributor. On the positive terminal of the coil
> should go the wire from the starter solenoid. Also on this terminal
> should go a wire that connects the ballast resistor to a 12 volt source
> which should be on the ignition switch. Let me know if this is right so
> far, but I still have a problem. I'm too stupid to figure out how to
> put the wire in the ignition switch. I thought that when I pulled the
> ign. switch out of the dash that I would see prongs on which to attach
> the wires. Instead there is a dark brown plastic piece that the wires
> go through and it is connected to the metal part of the switch. I'm
> afraid that if I try to pull it apart, I will break it. Is there
> another place that I can connect a ballast resistor wire to. Battery?
> Voltage regulator? Fuse panel? Please be very specific. And thank you
> for any help.
>



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Normally you pick up a switched 12 volts for the ballast. This can be
from any circuit that needs the key in run to turn on like that old
ballast wire.....

I would just put the ballast resistor on the place the ballast wire came
from or whatever power source the coil was using...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page

66lark wrote:
>
> 66 Buick skylark 340 engine
> I need to wire in a ceramic ballast resistor. It has two terminals on
> it. The car originally came with just the resistance wire, but it's not
> there anymore. It has a stock points distributor. The coil says to use
> an external ballast resistor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the
> way I think it should go. On the negative terminal of the coil should
> go the wire from the distributor. On the positive terminal of the coil
> should go the wire from the starter solenoid. Also on this terminal
> should go a wire that connects the ballast resistor to a 12 volt source
> which should be on the ignition switch. Let me know if this is right so
> far, but I still have a problem. I'm too stupid to figure out how to
> put the wire in the ignition switch. I thought that when I pulled the
> ign. switch out of the dash that I would see prongs on which to attach
> the wires. Instead there is a dark brown plastic piece that the wires
> go through and it is connected to the metal part of the switch. I'm
> afraid that if I try to pull it apart, I will break it. Is there
> another place that I can connect a ballast resistor wire to. Battery?
> Voltage regulator? Fuse panel? Please be very specific. And thank you
> for any help.

Mike Romain wrote:
> Normally you pick up a switched 12 volts for the ballast. This can be
> from any circuit that needs the key in run to turn on like that old
> ballast wire.....
>
> I would just put the ballast resistor on the place the ballast wire came
> from or whatever power source the coil was using...
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page
>
> 66lark wrote:
>
>>66 Buick skylark 340 engine
>>I need to wire in a ceramic ballast resistor. It has two terminals on
>>it. The car originally came with just the resistance wire, but it's not
>>there anymore. It has a stock points distributor. The coil says to use
>>an external ballast resistor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the
>>way I think it should go. On the negative terminal of the coil should
>>go the wire from the distributor. On the positive terminal of the coil
>>should go the wire from the starter solenoid. Also on this terminal
>>should go a wire that connects the ballast resistor to a 12 volt source
>>which should be on the ignition switch. Let me know if this is right so
>>far, but I still have a problem. I'm too stupid to figure out how to
>>put the wire in the ignition switch. I thought that when I pulled the
>>ign. switch out of the dash that I would see prongs on which to attach
>>the wires. Instead there is a dark brown plastic piece that the wires
>>go through and it is connected to the metal part of the switch. I'm
>>afraid that if I try to pull it apart, I will break it. Is there
>>another place that I can connect a ballast resistor wire to. Battery?
>>Voltage regulator? Fuse panel? Please be very specific. And thank you
>>for any help.

The voltage regulator or generator output will supply 12v with the
engine running. Also used to supply power to an electric choke.

wws

wwsjr wrote:
> Mike Romain wrote:
>
>> Normally you pick up a switched 12 volts for the ballast. This can be
>> from any circuit that needs the key in run to turn on like that old
>> ballast wire.....
>>
>> I would just put the ballast resistor on the place the ballast wire came
>> from or whatever power source the coil was using...
>> Mike
>> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
>> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
>> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
>> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page
>>
>> 66lark wrote:
>>
>>> 66 Buick skylark 340 engine
>>> I need to wire in a ceramic ballast resistor. It has two terminals on
>>> it. The car originally came with just the resistance wire, but it's not
>>> there anymore. It has a stock points distributor. The coil says to use
>>> an external ballast resistor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the
>>> way I think it should go. On the negative terminal of the coil should
>>> go the wire from the distributor. On the positive terminal of the coil
>>> should go the wire from the starter solenoid. Also on this terminal
>>> should go a wire that connects the ballast resistor to a 12 volt source
>>> which should be on the ignition switch. Let me know if this is right so
>>> far, but I still have a problem. I'm too stupid to figure out how to
>>> put the wire in the ignition switch. I thought that when I pulled the
>>> ign. switch out of the dash that I would see prongs on which to attach
>>> the wires. Instead there is a dark brown plastic piece that the wires
>>> go through and it is connected to the metal part of the switch. I'm
>>> afraid that if I try to pull it apart, I will break it. Is there
>>> another place that I can connect a ballast resistor wire to. Battery?
>>> Voltage regulator? Fuse panel? Please be very specific. And thank you
>>> for any help.
>
>
> The voltage regulator or generator output will supply 12v with the
> engine running. Also used to supply power to an electric choke.
>
> wws

I'm curious if the OP is over thinking this. Is the original resistance
wire still in good condition? It counts as an "external ballast." I'm
envisioning the OP going to the parts store, purchasing a replacement
coil for his car, and then seeing the wording "use with external
ballast" printed on it and thinking that he needs to add a ceramic,
wire-wound resistor when in fact the original wire should be appropriate.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:
> I'm curious if the OP is over thinking this. Is the original resistance
> wire still in good condition? It counts as an "external ballast." I'm
> envisioning the OP going to the parts store, purchasing a replacement
> coil for his car, and then seeing the wording "use with external
> ballast" printed on it and thinking that he needs to add a ceramic,
> wire-wound resistor when in fact the original wire should be appropriate.
>
> nate
>
> --
========
========
Nate,
he said the wire was no longer there.


~:~
marsh
~:~